Sunday, February 6, 2011

Book 7: Welcome to My Planet, by Shannon Olson

Though touted as fiction, this book clearly borrows heavily from Olson's life and upbringing in Minnesota.

We read the story of Shannon, a 20-something graduate student from St. Paul who struggles with the same things we all struggle with - relationships (with men and our mothers), our search for meaning, and generally confusion over our sense of selves. Her mother, whom she calls Flo, is a crack up, and the puns that Olson puts throughout the dialogue were hysterical.

Despite her failed relationships and her on-going relationship with a therapist (who we only know as "the counselor"), the book ends on a hopeful note, with the narrator having finished her thesis and looking forward to a new chapter in her life.

Unlike other novels, I feel no qualms about giving away "how the book ends," so to speak. This is not a plot driven novel so much as one driven by character exploration - likely both that of the narrator and that of the author. A quick read, as I only started it yesterday on the way to the zoo.